


The Call [Creek]

by moopsomnia (orphan_account)



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Astronomy, Bottom Tweek Tweak, Boys In Love, Craig Tucker and Tweek Tweak in Love, Craig's Gang, Episode: s19e06 Tweek x Craig, Eventual Smut, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Alternating, POV Craig Tucker, POV Tweek Tweak, Sad Tweek Tweak, Smut, Top Craig Tucker, Yaoi, smut at the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22370035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/moopsomnia
Summary: In Elementary School, Tweek and Craig were the closest of friends. Craig had always presumed that was the leading factor to the entire town of South Park thinking that the two boys were a couple.However, ever since they staged a break up, Tweek and Craig came to a realisation; they did feel something for each other.After the boys 'broke up', all began to return to normal. That was until the Tweak family moved to Denver at the beginning of 6th grade.Approximately 6 years later, Craig and Tweek are now in the middle of their Senior year of High School. Craig has the reputation of a stoic asshole and someone to never be meddled with.When the Tweak family returns to South Park, the two boys are forced to confront their feelings.What will happen if that familiar, twitchy face makes a return to Craig's life, after all these years?Started: 02/01/2020Published: 05/01/2020Finished:important notes:-*you can also view this fanfic on WattPad! It's on my page @moopsomnia.-i can't make titles or descriptions acK-alternating point of view.-craig tops!-undecided updating schedule. i'll try and post as much as possible, though.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 4
Kudos: 87





	1. A/N

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. There might be a couple characters of my own creation that I threw in there, but otherwise they belong to South Park. I only own the shitty writing : )  
The cover also belongs to me (the signature is my alternate user 👁🕳👁)

A/N:

Firstly, I just want to give some brief warnings for what you should expect. 

This is to be read at the reader's own discretion. This story contains mature/sensitive topics such as self harm, homosexual relationships, and sexual content (it probably won't be until the very end, and will not be critical to the plot). This story also contains heavy swearing, but I'm willing to bet any fan of South Park isn't too offended by cussing. I recommend being 13+ to read this, but if you think you can handle it then be my guest- I'm not your dad ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ .

But anyway, thank you for choosing to read The Call! I'll try and update as much as possible, but in the meantime I really appreciate your comments and kudos! 

By the way, if any of the text seems a little wonky, it's because I'm translating my original story on WattPad to Ao3 formatting. 

-Matt


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "As the moon dipped below the horizon and its reign of the Earth's sky came to an amicable closure, the sun peeked surreptitiously from below the frozen Colorado terrain. Its soft orange rays began to extend over the steadily waking world and the stars began to dim in the gradient dawn sky. 
> 
> In actuality, it probably was not as grand and imperial as that. To any other kid, it was 06:00 AM on a Monday and signalled nothing other than for one to prepare for another day of fiercely dreaded school.   
> It was to Craig Tucker that something as wonted as the sunrise could seem so prodigious."

As the moon dipped below the horizon and its reign of the Earth's sky came to an amicable closure, the sun peeked surreptitiously from below the frozen Colorado terrain. Its soft orange rays began to extend over the steadily waking world and the stars began to dim in the gradient dawn sky. 

In actuality, it probably was not as grand and imperial as that. To any other kid, it was 06:00 AM on a Monday and signalled nothing other than for one to prepare for another day of fiercely dreaded school.   
It was to Craig Tucker that something as wonted as the sunrise could seem so prodigious. 

Craig Tucker was a thin, ebony-haired, seventeen-year-old boy. Some people conspired that the Tucker boy was adopted, considering his family's light hair compared to his own stygian hair. Such rumours were, indeed, false. He hoped so, at least. Only genetics can save Craig Tucker now. 

Craig supposed that he didn't look too bad; he had olive skin and deep blue eyes that he liked to think reflected the night sky that he was all so intrigued by. He had long, lanky limbs and preferred to sport a blue chullo hat and jacket, followed by dark pants and trainers that were stained with Colorado mud and dirt.

Currently, the young man wore nothing more than a white tee and boxers. He rested his chin gently on his arm, observing the rest of the drowsy world around him.

Earlier, Craig had been compelled to study the ceiling of his dark bedroom, vainly yearning for the serene escape of sleep. With a final sigh of defeat, he recanted his efforts.   
After the boy had rolled over on his alternative side and slipped out of bed, he gingerly made his way to the windowsill. 

Now, Craig was beginning to feel the weight of his eyelids as he grew weary and gradually dozed off. 

A ringing sounded from his phone and his body resiled as he instinctively shot up. His sudden action caused the chair he was seated in to lead back, precipitating him to fall with it. 

The teen fell to the ground with a petulant grunt. As he rose back to his feet, a raucous knock came from his door.  
'Craig! This is the third time I've told; get your ass up! You are late!' The voice was mature and feminine, belonging none other than to his mother.   
Craig let his head lean back and groaned as he picked up his mobile phone. He squinted his eyes to read the notifications. 

_1 missed call from Clyde Donovan._

_1 unread message from Clyde Donovan._

Craig raised a brow and unlocked his phone to view the message. 

From: Clyde Donovan  
To: Craig Tucker  
 _Dude where r u?? 1st period started abt 10 mins ago_

The young raven-haired boy let out a heavy sigh and donned his blue jacket and chullo. He slipped his cellular device into his pocket and pulled on a pair of pants and shoes, eventually making his way to the door.

As Craig traipsed his way downstairs, his mother glared at him. Laura Tucker was a tall woman with bright, golden locks and her emerald eyes matched her floral dress. Any other time, you might have thought them to be rather lovely looking, but now they were glazed over in fury. 

The blonde woman tapped her foot impatiently. 'I won't have you forget that I'm still the one who drives your ass to school before I have to go to work since you don't have a car. I do this out of the kindness of my heart so that you don't have to walk in the cold! If you think you're allowed to make me late to work over this, then you've got another thing coming, mister!' she scolded.  
Against any common sense that he may or may not possess, Craig threw up his hand with the middle finger displayed predominantly.  
' _Craigory J. Tucker_!' [1] his mother spat venomously. Craig froze in place as his gaze slowly met his mother's.   
' _Get in the car _.' she sibilated through gritted teeth.__

__Normally, Craig's mother was not as irascible as she was on this particular morning. Flipping someone off in the Tucker household was about as quotidian as saying hello in other families.  
However, Laura Tucker's normal insouciant attitude ended where her work was involved. Craig's mother worked at the local bank and took her job particularly seriously. Truthfully, she would probably even be considered a workaholic. _ _

__Craig, having must of dug up an ounce or two of sense, nodded wordlessly and slung his school bag across his shoulder. He followed behind his mother out the door and craned his head down to look at his phone._ _

__Craig opened the Messages app and selected Clyde Donovan's contact._ _

___From: Craig Tucker  
To: Clyde Donovan  
 _k__

__With that, he powered off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> [1] A South Park Discord server I'm in came together and decided on James as a middle name for Craig. Obviously, this isn't canon, but that is what the J stands for. I also don't know if any part of the fandom dubbed him something different but our boy in this story is Craigory James Tucker. Deal with it B/


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Craig peered up from where he had been drawing dicks on his desk to get a first glance at the visitor. He felt his jaw drop as he stared in bewilderment; he couldn't believe his eyes! Before the class stood none other than his old friend, Tweek Tweak."

Craig watched as the door to his first-period classroom creaked as it flew open. He ambled nonchalantly past the teacher and to his desk, slumping into it.

Craig's first class was math. It was taught by a cranky, ancient man called Mr. Clark, who was currently crossing his arms. The old teacher narrowed his eyes and tapped his finger on his arm. 'You are _late_ , Mr Tucker,' he remarked.   
'I am fully _aware_ , Mr. Clark,' Craig retorted. Mr. Clark grumbled a couple of incoherent words before turning back to the board. 'Just get your homework out and see if you can amuse _it_ with your _lovely_ sarcasm.' he muttered impatiently. 

Craig whirled his head around as he felt something poke his back. 'Craig?'   
He glanced back to see a brunette boy in a letterman jacket glaring at him through squinted eyes. 'What the fuck do you want Clyde?' Craig hissed.   
'Where were you?' he whispered.   
The jet black-haired teen rolled his eyes and held up his hand, displaying the middle finger for Clyde to observe.   
Mr. Clark hushed the two boys and returned to reviewing his lesson while Craig watched phlegmatically from his desk. 

The boy was currently attending his last and final year of high school. Despite how indifferent he felt towards school, Craig had decided long ago that he wanted to attend a university and receive at least a Bachelor's degree in Astrophysics. He didn't know what job in particular he desired, but he did want more than anything to work for NASA. 

Craig was reeled back to the present when a rapid tapping came from the door.   
Mr. Clark heaved an exasperated sigh and hung his head. 'Come on in,' He turned to greet the newcomer. 'What is it?' he inquired, voice dripping with irritation. 

Craig peered up from where he had been drawing dicks on his desk to get a first glance at the visitor. He felt his jaw drop as he stared in bewilderment; he couldn't believe his eyes! Before the class stood none other than his old friend, Tweek Tweak. 

Tweek Tweak was a coffee addicted, seventeen-year-old spaz. Craig used to be good friends with him back in Primary School, but the Tweak family moved to Denver about a year after the whole "being gay" incident. Neither of them was actually gay [1], of course. 

Tweek had scruffy, sand-blond hair that probably couldn't have even been tamed with super glue. His face was pale and was dusted with hundreds of freckles and had a rosy nose. He sported a plain green button-down shirt, although his spastic shaking must have caused him to miss a couple of buttons. Tweek had coffee-stained jeans on, followed by untied hiking boots.   
He was also noticeably short, standing at what Craig surmised to be at about 5'4". While Craig had always been taller than everyone else and currently stood at roughly 6'1", he suspected the poor kid had probably stopped growing by the 9th grade. 

'GAH! I-I'm sorry, man! I j-just- I just moved b-back here and- AGH- I- they t-told me this w-was my fir-first period!' Tweek anxiously clarified, tugging at the buttons on his shirt. Evidently enough, his old companion had not changed too awfully much.   
Mr. Clark's brows knitted together in confusion. Instead of questioning Tweek further, he simply waved a hand towards the rows of desks. 'Just take a seat, Tweek,' he sighed, holding the bridge of his nose. 'You can get your notes for today from your neighbour.' he instructed and returned to teaching. 

The blond stood awkwardly for a moment before catching Craig's gaze. Delighted by a familiar face, Tweek slid into the desk next to him and gave a happy little wave.   
Craig gave an amused nod of acknowledgement before redirecting his attention back to the teacher. 

Before class had ended, Token Black, one of Craig's friends and star student of the class, had allowed Tweek to scribble down all of the notes.   
Considering he was already sitting beside him, Craig would have lent him his notes, only Craig was missing the majority of them as well. 

As the hysterical teenager wrote down the final words for his notes, the bell rang. 'GAH!' he yelped and shoved Token's notebook back into his arms. 'Th-thanks, s-sorry!' he told him as he snatched his book bag and bolted for his next class.   
Token clasped his own book bag and slung it onto his back before he followed behind Clyde out the door. 

Craig rose from his desk to depart to his next lecture when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He gyrated around to face Mr. Clark, who was peering at him with a cross look. 'One more tardy and I'll give you detention for a week, Mr Tucker.' he snapped. Craig subtly flipped him off before turning on his heels and exiting the classroom. 

Craig flumped down into his assigned desk in his second-period class. He felt disappointment settle in his gut as he noticed that Tweek was not in this class.   
He was curious what the other boy was like now and he wanted to catch up--they used to be best friends, after all. Their closeness as children was probably a leading component to why people thought that they were a couple. But he never actually like-liked his friend, did he? 

Craig shook his head to clear his rapidly accumulating thoughts; he would just catch Tweek at lunch and they could catch up then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> [1] He told himself, like a liar.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He wasn't completely certain with how to provide comfort to someone. It was not as if he did it often; Craig tried to remain as indifferent to everyone else's problems as possible. Frankly, he felt far too saccharine for any of this to be normal. Craig was an unemotional asshole, so why did he feel so compelled to tag along after Tweek and provide solace? What was this kid doing to him?"

Craig took a swift glance at the time displayed on this phone; third period would be concluding soon.  
Succeeding third period was a 30-minute lunch break. Craig hoped he would be able to catch Tweek and talk to him before the next period.  
He permitted himself to slouch in his seat and watched with ennui as the teacher maundered on about periodic trends.

The bell that signalled lunch period resonated through the school. Craig pulled himself from his desk before sauntering into the hallway. 

Surely enough, he recognised Tweek's feral, blond hair through the midst of the other students. He lightly tapped the other boy's shoulder, 'Tweek,' he called.  
The blond pulled away from the touch and veered around to face Craig. 'GAH! C-Crag?! Wh-what is i-it?' he asked timidly. 

Craig shuffled his feet insouciantly before meeting Tweek's gaze. 'Long time no see,' he averred. The other boy relaxed marginally. 'Ye-Yeah, it's weird t-to be b-back in- AGH- South Park...' he trailed off.  
By now, the halls were nearly desolate.  
'Want to come and eat lunch with me, Clyde, and Token? We can catch up there.' he inquired. 

Tweek grinned at his old friend and nodded. 'S-Sure, Craig!' He adjusted the straps of his book bag. 

The two teens arrived at a wooden picnic table, which was currently already occupied with Clyde and Token.  
Clyde glanced swiftly from his food to Tweek before making a double-take. 'You got him to come!' he chirped. 

Tweek settled down beside Craig at the table and gave Clyde a hesitant wave.  
Clyde swept a hand through his brown hair. 'We've missed you here! What was it like living in Denver?' he asked.  
Tweek twitched, pulling at his shirt. 'I- It was really-GAH!- big and c-crowded. Lots of pressure, man!' he delineated.  
Clyde nodded half-heartedly as if that was somehow not the answer he had been expecting. 

Craig peered at Tweek. 'So, why did you guys decide to move back here?' he inquired nonchalantly.  
Whatever nerve Craig had just hit, it must have been a major one. Tweek's hands flew up to grip at his dust-blond hair. 'AGH! Wh-what's with a-all the- GAH- questions?!' he demanded.

Craig leaned back, his eyebrows knitting together in disconcertment. Clyde exchanged glances with Token before speaking. 'It's been years since we've even seen you! Are we not allowed to ask questions?!' he pushed, almost flabbergasted. 

'GAH! NO!' Tweek slammed his hands on the table before bolting away. Clyde cocked his head to the side and watched as he evacuated. 'I see he's still a big spaz,' he muttered. 

Token squinted his eyes before pulling himself to his feet. 'You guys are assholes.' He turned to go after Tweek before Clyde grabbed his arm sleeve. 'What?! We're assholes? You just sat there!' He gasped with indignation. 

The two continued to bicker as Craig watched in exasperation.  
_God_ , Craig thought, _they're like an old fucking married couple._

With little acknowledgement from neither Token nor Clyde, Craig got to his feet to chase after Tweek.  
After leaving their field of visions, both arguing boys looked back to where Craig had just been sitting. 'Where the fuck did he go now?' Clyde sneered.

Meanwhile, Craig crept through the hallways, gazing around in search of his friend. As he passed the boy's restroom, he heard hyperventilating.  
'Tweek?' he called hesitantly. He peered into the bathroom before anyone could answer and saw the other boy, clinging to himself in the far corner. 

He was shaking violently and was fiddling trepidatiously with a Fidget Spinner. He tensed as he heard someone speak.  
'Aren't those things kind of out of date?' Craig quipped, grinning light-heartedly.  
'GAH! C-Craig?' Tweek yelped, his movement throwing the Fidget Spinner off balance. 

Craig lowered his head before ambling beside the other boy. He plopped down on the floor in front of him. 'We didn't mean to scare you off, dude,' he clarified, lifting his gaze to meet Tweek's green eyes. The sclera of his eyes was a little red; Craig deduced that he had been crying just before he had found him. 'My question really put you on edge. Is everything alright?' he gently inquired. 

Tweek shifted awkwardly before he spoke. 'I-I'm sorry, man, th-this is just too much pressure! It's just...' he struggled to explain, gaze faltering from the other boy's.  
Craig watched the blond expectantly. 'GAH!' he twitched. 'M-my parents got a divorce and so my mom and I moved back to South Park.' Tweek gripped his hair as he explained. 

'Do you... want to talk about it?' Craig asked him tentatively, watching his twitches with concerned eyes. 

He wasn't completely certain with how to provide comfort to someone. It was not as if he did it often; Craig tried to remain as indifferent to everyone else's problems as possible. Frankly, he felt far too saccharine for any of this to be normal. Craig was an unemotional asshole, so why did he feel so compelled to tag along after Tweek and provide solace? What was this kid doing to him?  
_Stop. Bad. You're supposed to be a cynical dick to everyone, stop caring!_ He attempted to scold himself. 

Craig shook his head and discarded his thoughts. His expectant gaze returned to Tweek, who immediately looked away and sighed dubiously. 'N-Not really,' he murmured softly. 

The raven-haired boy sat on his hands. 'I'm sure it will help,' he urged. Tweek looked unconvinced but confessed, nonetheless. 'M-My mom and dad have been having issues for a- GAH- lon-long time n-now. All m-my dad really cared about is- w-was the coff-coffee business and he became even more cl-closed off when we m-moved to Denver [1]. I g-guess my m-mom decided we w-would just move back h-here and reopen Tweek Bros.'  
'I had heard that they were reopening a store uptown,'  
'Yeah.' 

Craig shifted to where he sat beside Tweek rather than in front of him. 'I'm sorry, dude. About your parents and everything. I didn't know.' he murmured.  
The blond studied the floor, his hands tugging at a button on his shirt. 'I don't-GAH- w-want sympathy. I just- AGH- I don't know what I want...' he said miserably, burying his face in his hands. 

Craig knitted his eyebrows together as he thought of ways to ameliorate this. 'Well, I can give you a friend that will help you get through this, if that's worth anything.' he propounded. 

Tweek looked up to view Craig, tears swelling in his eyes. 'You don't- you-' his words faltered as he wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. 'You don't have to...' he pointed out quietly.

Craig gave an insouciant shrug. 'No,' he admitted. 'I don't.'  
He let out a small gasp as he felt himself being pulled into a hug. He felt a short wave of startle pass before sinking into the warm embrace.   
'Thank you, Craig.' Tweek whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> [1] I actually didn't pull the idea out of nowhere. I don't know if I'm the only one that notices, but Tweek's dad is kind of an asshole in the actual show. Maybe I'm just crazy but he is always more concerned with the coffee shop rather than his family. He used Tweek and the other boys to eliminate competition for his shop and in TFBW, he only wanted Craig and Tweek to get back together because "having a gay son is really good for the coffee business". So yes, I swear there was reasoning behind it! Again, I don't know if I'm the only one who notices or not lmao.


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He drew his brows together as he ruminated. Craig was unable to fathom why he was so eager to hang out with his old friend; he had always inclined toward being left to his lonesome before. Why the hell was this so different?"

The bell that ended the lunch break echoed through the halls. Tweek and Craig had spent the remaining few minutes of their break confabulating and catching up on each other's lives. 

Craig groaned as the bell rung out and clutched his book bag. He hoisted himself to his feet before looking to Tweek.  
He pursed his lips for a moment in thought. 'We should hang out after school, you know. We can play video games and continue talking if you'd like.' Craig proposed.  
Tweek stood up and threw his school bag over his shoulders. 'Th-That would be a lot of f-fun!' he concurred.

The other boy grinned jocundly before his face fell. 'W-Well- AGH- I'll have t-to ask my mom first, o-of course. Sh-She's been n-needing m-my help with the c-coffee sh-shop lately.' he explained apprehensively.

Craig leaned his back against the lavatory wall. 'I'm sure it'll be fine. If you can't, we can just do it another time.' he responded.  
'Anyway, ' He pulled away from the wall. 

Tweek followed behind Craig as they exited the restroom. 'Catch you later, dude.' the raven-haired boy called as he turned to depart. Tweek grinned and waved his farewells.

Suddenly, the blond teen called out. 'Wait! GAH- er, Sorry, let me give you my phone number so we can contact each other after s-school!' he said, fumbling for his mobile phone. 

Craig followed suit, pulling out his own phone. 'Good idea,' he mumbled as he opened the contact app. 

After the two swapped telephone numbers, they both bid each other adieu. 'S-See you,' Tweek said before dashing to his next class. 'Bye,' Craig waved, standing idly for a moment before departing to his own class. 

Craig hoisted his book bag into his locker, shoving it into the cramped space.  
'Craig!' He whipped around upon recognising his name being called. 

Craig watched as Clyde propelled his way through the profusion of students to approach the other boy.  
'Craig! Where'd you go during lunch?' he posed his inquiries. 

The black-haired teen knitted his brows together and squinted as he peered at his crony. He sniffled and turned to peregrinate alongside Clyde. 'I went to go find Tweek while you and Token went at it,' he elucidated. 

The brunette threw his hand to his chest in a dramatic fashion as he gasped. 'Craig Tucker, of all people, caring for someone other than himself? No way! What have you done with the real, asshole Craig?!' Clyde chaffed, giving the other boy a playful punch on the arm.

Craig rolled his eyes and hastened his pace. 'I'm going to class, Clyde.' he announced coolly. The other boy glowered but just turned his heels to recede in his own direction. 

Craig's next and final class was just around the corner from where he and Clyde had sundered to go their opposite ways. 

The boy's schedule consisted of five segments. His day commenced with Math class, followed by History class, Chemistry class, Lunch, and finally concluded with a Foreign Language class. 

Craig had chosen to learn French, which was taught by a kind, elderly woman named Mrs. Neilsen. Ironically, the woman didn't actually know much French. 

Currently, Mrs. Neilsen was writing out French orthography as Craig slipped into the classroom. He glanced uneasily at the time displayed on his phone as he plopped down into his assigned seat. 

He drew his brows together as he ruminated. Craig was unable to fathom why he was so eager to hang out with his old friend; he had always inclined toward being left to his lonesome before. Why the hell was this so different? 

Craig observed absent-mindedly as Mrs. Neilsen passed out worksheets to her pupils. He scribbled his name into the corner of his own paper and canted his head to rest on his fists. 

The young, ebony-haired boy listened distractedly as the professor elucidated the instructions of the task. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as he slipped in and out of consciousness. 

Craig's head jolted up from where it rested on his desk as someone patted his shoulder. 'Wake up, dear.' ordered the voice of Mrs. Neilsen.  
Craig drowsily looked about, noticing that the classroom was vacant except for Mrs. Neilsen and himself. 

His teacher was settling back at her desk to grade papers. 'You slept through class. Try and get some sleep tonight, hon.' she spoke without looking up from her current enterprise.  
'I apologise,' Craig mumbled softly as he assembled his belongings. 

The old woman raised a sceptical brow. 'Just don't let it happen again.' she sighed. Craig nodded silently and trudged out the door.

He slipped his mobile phone out from his coat pocket and pulled up Tweek's contact. 

From: Craig Tucker  
To: Tweek Tweak  
_If your mom is okay with it, do you want to meet up_

The other boy's reply arrived almost immediately after Craig sent his message.

From: Tweek Tweak  
To: Craig Tucker  
_My mom saod that it's okay if I hsng out with you. Where wouljrd you like to meet up at?_

Craig felt himself huff in amusement at the spelling errors. He was willing to bet that the other boy was hardly even able to focus on his keyboard, due to all the caffeine. 

From: Craig Tucker  
To: Tweek Tweak  
_We can meet outside the school gates and walk to my house. I have a couple of games we can play on my ps4_

Craig's phone vibrated as it received the response.

From: Tweek Tweak  
To: Craig Tucker  
_Soufds good. I'll sre you thwre._

Craig grinned to himself as he made his way down the halls and slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'Come on, Tweekers,' he urged, waving his hand. 'It shouldn't take too long.' 
> 
> Tricia was already out the door as Tweek scrambled after Craig. 'Tweekers?!' he questioned. The raven-haired boy shrugged and gave a light-hearted chuckle. "

Craig sensed his heartbeat hasten as he approached the designated rendezvous.   
_No, bad! Stop that!_ he thought, glowering at himself. 

The blond teen was already there, fiddling with his phone and twitching. Tweek gazed up from his mobile device, his green eyes widening. 'AGH- Y-you came!' he chirped blissfully, making way for a grin. 

As Craig came to stand beside his friend, he raised a brow. 'What, did you think I wouldn't?' he snorted.   
Tweek peered down at his shoes and began to shake, noticeably discomfited. 'I-I'm- GAH- sorry, I j-just tend to a-assume bad th-things, I d-didn't mean to i-imply that you w-weren't trustworthy or- ACK- a-anything,' he maundered apprehensively, tugging at his pale locks of hair. 

The blond winced as Craig rested his hand on his shoulder. 'Dude, relax.' he reassured him.  
'It's fine, Tweek.' He gave him a quick pat before pulling his hand away. 

Tweek composed himself before adjusting his bookbag straps. 'If you s-say so, man,' he mumbled, canting his head to the side.

The raven-haired boy chuckled softly and ambled past the other teen. Tweek turned on his heels to follow after his friend. 

They perambulated abreast along the sidewalk, Craig occasionally casting swift glances at Tweek. He appeared perturbed by the silence between them, so Craig fought to come up with some sort of dialogue. 

'So, er, how's your first day back at South Park been?' he inquired. Tweek gazed upwards in introspection. 'Weird,' he admitted after a pause. 

Craig snickered. 'Weird how? Weird as in the South Park normal?' he asked, raising a brow. Tweek giggled for a heartbeat, which was probably enough for Craig's to skip a beat. 

The blond furrowed his brows as he fidgeted with the buttons of his shirt. 'N-no, I don't th-think so,' he began, twitching and wriggling nervously.   
'What do you mean, then?' Craig urged him on.   
'GAH- I-I don't know, it's j-just that I f-feel out of place or- AGH- s-something.' he mumbled. 

Just as Craig opened his mouth to dispute, his own house came into view. He gazed back at Tweek, who shifted uneasily. 'AGH- J-just forget about i-it! GAH! Too much p-pressure!' he yawped.

Craig narrowed his eyes as he noticed the automobile in the driveway. 'I won't drop it. But right now, I guess I'll be needing to convince my mom to let me hang out with you.' he told him before darting towards the doorway. 

'You didn't m-message her beforehand?!' Tweek inquired unnervingly. Craig gave an offhanded shrug. 'No, I didn't think she'd be home by now,' he mumbled as he ferreted through his pockets for his house keys.

Craig unlocked the front door and peeped his head surreptitiously inside. He winced as he heard this mother call out his name. 'Craig? Is that you?' she shouted from the kitchen. 

'Yeah, it's me,' The black-haired teen slid off his shoes and kicked them towards the wall.

Craig led his companion to the kitchen. 'Can I hang out with Tweek for a while, please?' he impetrated, waving a hand towards the other boy. 

Mrs Tucker turned to greet her son and company. 'Tweek Tweak? I thought your family moved to Denver.' She observed the blond, slightly flummoxed to see the boy after so many years. 

Tweek gripped his arm apprehensively. 'Y-Yes, but w-we decided to, er, m-move back h-here,' he explained.   
'You've grown a lot. How's your mom?' Craig's mother inquired.   
'She's doing well.' Tweek assured her. 

Craig's gaze flickered back and forth between the two. Finally, his eyes rested on his mother.   
'So, can Tweek stay for a bit?' he asked optimistically. 

Mrs Tucker pursed her lip. 'Only if you go and drive [1] Trisha to her little friend Karen's house to spend the night. She's been begging to go and you were an ass this morning, so if you want Tweek to stay over then you need to go do that for me.' she negotiated. 

'Fine.' he growled quietly. 'She's up in her room,' Mrs Tucker tossed her son her own car keys. 

Taking a few paces forward, Craig gracefully caught the keys in his hands and veered around to face Tweek. 'I'll be right back.' he apprised him. 

Craig raced up the stairs and gave his sister's bedroom door a heavy knock. 'Come in,' he heard the girl call, tone dripping with pique. 

He opened the door charily. His sister was relaxed on her bed, headphones positioned over her head as she played with her phone. 

Tricia's room was painted purple and many posters hang from its walls. Tricia, herself, was about thirteen years old. She had strawberry blond hair that was kept up in two neat pigtails, which she was currently brushing back loose strands of.

'What do you want, dick boy?' she sneered. Craig raised his hand, middle finger predominantly displayed. He slung the keys around with his other hand. 'Dick boy here is telling you to get your ass downstairs if you want to go to Karen's.' he retorted.

'Really?' Tricia pulled off her headphones and sprung off of her bed. 'Thanks,' she said, slipping past him in the doorway. 

Craig trailed behind his younger sister down the staircase. She paused for a moment and leaned against the handrail, noticing Tweek and their mother conversing. 

'My friend will be coming with us,' he explained, sliding past her. 

Tricia lifted herself to stand upright. 'You have friends?' She blinked at her brother.   
Craig grumbled inaudible curses as he approached the other boy.

'Come on, Tweekers,' he urged, waving his hand. 'It shouldn't take too long.' 

Tricia was already out the door as Tweek scrambled after Craig. 'Tweekers?!' he questioned. The raven-haired boy shrugged and gave a light-hearted chuckle. 

While Tricia climbed into the backseat of Mrs Tucker's Honda from 2010, Craig slipped into the driver's seat. As Tweek situated himself in the passenger seat, the other boy turned the ignition. 

Silence hung in the air for the bulk of the car ride until Tricia glanced up from her phone. 'So...' she began, raising a brow. 'You two fucked yet?' the young girl inquired. 

'Shut the fuck up, Tricia.' Craig snapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> [1] I want to briefly clarify that when I previously mentioned in the first chapter that Craig didn't drive, I meant that he just doesn't have a car to drive. He has a license and can drive if someone lends him a car. Tweek is the only one so far that cannot legally drive.


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "After learning of his fervour for astronomy, many people would consider Craig's fascination to be cretinous. As his companion spoke, his eyes widened while knitting his brows together. For a moment, Craig didn't feel as alone anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: it's w h o l e s o m e time. Also, this is kind of short but I promise it gets much better next chapter!

The car ride back to Craig's house was relatively mute. Tweek remained taciturn as he leaned against the car window, trembling as normal.

As the uneasiness settled in his gut, Craig sighed softly. 'I'm sorry that my sister is such an asshole. She was just joking; I don't think that she was purposefully trying to make you uncomfortable,' he explained. That, of course, was a damned lie. It was axiomatic that Tricia meant to make them uncomfortable, but hopefully, Tweek didn't think that.

The blond twitched as he tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. 'I- GAH- It's okay, I g-guess. Apparently, I-I'm just bad at u-understand h-humour,' he muttered.

Craig glanced briefly from to road to his companion. 'No, it's just that Tricia's humour isn't funny,' he scoffed. 

Tweek gave an ephemeral grin before falling silent once again. A few heartbeats passed before either of them spoke again.

Suddenly, Craig spoke up. 'Why should you never get into a fight with a dinosaur?' he began.  
Tweek glanced in the bearing of his friend. 'I-I don't know, why?' he inquired.

Craig snorted, 'You'll get _jurass_ -kicked.' he replied. Tweek fell mute for a beat before bursting into laughter. 

Craig watched the blond and chuckled softly. 'It wasn't that funny,' he pointed out and grinned broadly. 

Tweek was endeavouring to compose himself. 'Exactly!' he giggled. Craig knitted his brows together in perplexity but felt himself laughing along with the other boy. 

'I don't understand you, Tweek,' he giggled softly as he watched his friend from the corner of his eye. The blond's face fell relatively pensive. 'Oh, I think you do,' he murmured. 

The two teenagers finally arrived back at Craig's house. The black-haired boy removed the car keys from the ignition and slipped them into his coat pocket as he exited the car. Tweek followed closely behind him, digging his nails into his palm. 

Craig opened the door and motioned for his friend to go before him. Tweek slipped past him and waited apprehensively as the other boy ambled beside him. 

'Do you want some coffee or something?' Craig asked. The blond glanced up. 'S-Sure,' he chirped avidly. 'AGH- O-Of course you don't have to, it's f-fine,' he immediately subjoined.

Craig rolled his eyes and laughed light-heartedly. 'Dude, relax.' he reassured him reposefully. Tweek eased marginally. 'S-Sorry,' he mumbled insistently. 

The door creaked as the black-haired teenaged opened it. He placed his backpack on his desk chair and grabbed two PlayStation 4 controllers. 

Craig tossed one of the controllers to the blond, who let out a 'GAH!' before frantically reaching to receive it.   
Tweek caught the device and traipsed to his friend's side. Craig regarded his companion, who had begun to gaze around the room. 

The young, blond teen waved his hand in the direction of one of his many space posters. 'Y-You like space?' he inquired, engrossed as he surveying the different posters. 

Craig pressed the power button on his PlayStation console. 'Is it that obvious? Yeah, I think it's one of coolest things,' he mused. 

Swerving around, Tweek gazed back at the other boy. 'Me too!' The blond grinned. 'I-I've always been intrigued when l-looking at the night s-sky,' he continued. 

After learning of his fervour for astronomy, many people would consider Craig's fascination to be cretinous. As his companion spoke, his eyes widened as he knitted his brows together. For a moment, Craig didn't feel as alone anymore.

The raven-haired boy took a swift glance from his gaming controller to the window. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, giving the boy a scheme. 'One second,' he mumbled. Craig reinstated the controller in its original placement before strolling past Tweek. 

The boy flipped the sash lock on the window and grasped the lift. He pulled up the lower sash before returning his gaze to Tweek. 'Follow me,' Craig entreated. 

'AGH- Out th-the fucking w-window?!' he demurred apprehensively. Craig nodded insouciantly and clambered through the aperture.

Tweek watched his companion desperately. 'GAH! I-I'm going to slip a-and die! ACK!' he yawped and followed behind the other boy. 

'It'll be okay, I won't let anything happen.' Craig reassured him and took his hand, aiding him as he climbed from the window. 

'Th-This is a b-bad idea, man,' he murmured feebly.   
Craig squeezed his friend's hand lightly. 'Just trust me, alright?' he instructed. Tweek's eyes darted frantically from Craig to the ground. His breath hitched and he gazed to the other boy. 

'GAH- F-Fine, I trust you,' he uttered, leaning into Craig and he balanced himself on the slanted roof.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tweek was still watching the ground with perturbation. 'I-I don't, er, see why w-we couldn't have j-just looked from the g-ground,' he contested, digging his nails into his palm.
> 
> Craig lifted his head to face the expanse of the dusk sky. 'It's not the same,' he explained lucidly. He lifted his hand to point at the stars. 'Look,' "

A zephyr lapped gently through the air, ruffling Tweek's dirty-blond hair. Craig watched as his friend shivered after taking another hesitant gander at the ground below them. 

'Stop looking down,' he commanded, tugging at Tweek's hand and knitting his brows together in solicitude. The other boy whimpered as he suppressed the disquietude. 

Craig pulled himself to stand on a level area of the roof. Tweek followed suit and balanced himself uneasily. The two boys stood idly for a moment before taking notice that they were still holding each other's hands.   
They mutually pulled away and Craig peered awkwardly at his shoes. 

Tweek was still watching the ground with perturbation. 'I-I don't, er, see why w-we couldn't have j-just looked from the g-ground,' he contested, digging his nails into his palm.

Craig lifted his head to face the expanse of the dusk sky. 'It's not the same,' he explained lucidly. He lifted his hand to point at the stars. 'Look,' 

The other boy pointed his face upwards as instructed. Tweek's brilliant green gaze dilated as it met with the vast welkin above him. 

Craig situated himself to lay on his back while stargazing. Tweek descried his movement and plopped down, crossing his legs. 

Craig sighed deeply and put his hands behind his head. 'I'd be sooo happy if I could see this all from space.' he murmured longingly. 

'It m-must be amazing to be a pilot,' the blond commented. Craig glanced at him and raised a brow. 'You would get to see this e-everyday, only you're above it a-all. I-It must be so peaceful. A-Also, planes are c-cool.' he explained further. 'I w-wish _I_ could be pilot,' he added quietly after a heartbeat. 

Craig canted his head to the side. 'What do you mean " _I wish_ "?' he scoffed and grinned. Tweek shifted apprehensively. 'I c-couldn't do it, man! T-Too much p-pressure!' he muttered with trepidation. 

The raven-haired boy leaned into his friend. 'You can do whatever you want to do, you know,' he remarked. Tweek pursed his lips as he scrutinised over the previous claim. 'M-Maybe,' he whispered softly. 

Tweek released a tensive sigh and lowered himself on his back, beside the other boy. Craig peered at the blond from out of the corner of his eyes. His virescent eyes were enthralled with the twinkling of the stars above them. He felt his heart skip a beat as he studied his facial features.

Tweek glanced briefly at the staring boy, who abruptly diverted his gaze. Craig took a deep breath as the silence began to hang in the crisp air. 

The silence was not necessarily out of awkward origin. Both boys remained taciturn as they stargazed, contemplating their own train of thought. 

The two remained hushed as the pale moon ascended in the bespangled empyrean. After a few minutes, Craig spoke up. 'It's funny how you can take one look at the night sky and never want to look away,' he mumbled, resting his gloved hands on his stomach. The blond boy nodded mutely. 

'It's sort of like...' he sought to find the appropriate description. 'A c-calling, sort o-of?' Tweek suggested. 

Craig pursed his lips before the corners of his mouth curled into a grin. 'Yeah,' he murmured. 'It's like a calling. A call to the stars,' he continued wistfully.

It had been a little after 21:00 hours when Tweek decided to head home. The blond gathered his school bag and made his way to the front door. Suddenly, he veered around and wrapped his arms around Craig in a heartfelt hug. 'Thank you for hanging out with me today, Craig. I didn't think anyone would be happy that I was back in South Park, so I really appreciate everything you've done.' Tweek whispered into his ear before pulling away. 

Craig felt his face redden and heat up as the other boy waved goodbye before exited his home.   
The wooden door shut quietly and Craig turned on his heels to trudge upstairs to his room. 

The boy fell onto his bed and groaned into his pillow. He slipped off his blue chullo and tossed it carelessly to the wooden floor.

Craig brushed a hand through his recently revealed coal-coloured hair. He rolled onto his back to gaze at his ceiling, which was covered in old glow-in-the-dark stars from when he was a child. 

Even in Elementary School before Tweek had moved, Craig never made much of an endeavour to get to know the coffee-addicted spaz.   
Back then, everyone in his gang had their own best friend that they preferred out the friend group. Tweek was his best friend, just as Token was to Clyde or Jimmy was to Timmy. 

Craig felt guilt churn in his stomach. Nobody had ever made the attempt to look past the blond's spastic behaviour, even Craig as his supposed _best friend_. 

He rested his hands behind his head as he considered everything he had learned about Tweek. Behind the boy's twitchiness was a kind and passionate friend. He liked aeroplanes and cheesy jokes, and he found peace in the sky. 

Craig rolled restlessly onto his side. He felt himself grinning as he acknowledged that he was one of the few people that the paranoid blond trusted. Craig had noticed that as the night progressed, Tweek gradually relaxed in his company.   
Craig hung on his friend's last words before departing; it did not contain a single twitch or stutter. He felt his breath hitch as he continued to ponder. 

Craig's blue eyes broadened as he came to an abrupt realisation.   
' _Fuck, I think I like him_ ,' he breathed aloud, covering his face with his cold hands and knitting his brows together.


	9. Chapter Eight

Craig groaned as his alarm blared in his ears. The boy had acquired an inadequate 2-3 hours of sleep during the night. He had remained conscious for the majority of the night, analyzing these new and strange emotions. 

Craig Tucker was notorious for being an intimidating and imperturbable person; having a crush on someone was beyond uncharacteristic. Yet, every time he was near the twitchy little blond, he felt his heart flutter and breath hitch. 

Even in Elementary School, Craig had felt these peculiar occurrences whenever he was in an approximation of Tweek.   
'What the hell is wrong with me?' he hissed exasperatedly into his hands. 

The boy was not even entirely sure if this was what having a crush was supposed to feel like.   
_Maybe I'm just really happy that he's back. Yeah, that's got to be it. I don't get crushes on anyone. He struggled to persuade himself._

Craig shook his head as he rolled out of his blankets and slipped on his school attire. The raven-haired teenager stumbled out of his bedroom and ambled down the stairs.

Mrs Tucker was seated at the dining table beside Mr Tucker, scribbling words onto some paperwork. She peered out of the corner of her eye to gaze at her son. 'Decide to get up on time, eh?' she scoffed. 

Craig sat down across from his parents and rested his head on his arms. 'I'll be taking you to school today. You 'bout ready, bud?' his father spoke up as he took a sip from his coffee. 

Craig nodded mutely and yawned. He clutched his book bag and slung it over his shoulders as he followed behind the older man.

Mr Tucker turned the ignition key to his truck and glanced ambivalently at his son. 'So, I heard that Tweek Tweak is back in town, huh?' he spoke as he put the vehicle in reverse. 

'Yup,' Craig confirmed. His father fell silent for a moment. 'Are you two still friends?' he finally inquired. The younger man nodded simply and allowed his head to cant against the icy window. 

Craig returned a short, insouciant wave to his father before he traipsed through the school doors. He trudged toward his locker, catching sight of Clyde and Token. Token's locker was beside his own, so their loitering was nothing out of the ordinary. 

Clyde, who was leaning comfortably against Craig's locker, lifted his head as the dark-haired boy arrived. 

'Move, Clyde,' Craig ordered through gritted teeth. The brunette knitted his brows and crossed his arms. 'What crawled up your ass and died? _Hm, Craigeypoo?_ ' Clyde retorted. 

The other boy dug his nails into his palm to restrain himself from flipping Clyde off. Craig let out a tremulous sigh and his gaze softened. 'Can I talk to you for just a second?' he requested in a hushed voice. 

Clyde glanced sceptically back at Token. 'Can you _what_?' he snorted in disbelief. Craig glowered and knitted his eyebrows together. Clyde's expression fell sober and his chocolate eyes grew round with solicitude for his friend. 

Any time that Craig Tucker was asking for help, something was acutely wrong. Clyde leaned closer towards him. 'What's up, dude?' he asked quietly. 

Students were already beginning to disperse to their classes. Craig shifted uncomfortably. 'I just- I-I think I'm starting to catch feelings for someone and I just don't know what to do,' he trailed off, motioning vaguely with his hand.

Clyde's dark eyes broadened along with his grin. 'Craig, that's great! What's her name?' he inquired.   
Craig crinkled his nose up and cringed slightly. 'Er- _his_ name, actually,' he corrected hesitantly. 'is Tweek,' he divulged, his voice barely audible.

Clyde lifted a hand to his own chin thoughtfully. 'Ohhh,' he nodded. The other boy lifted a brow. 'What do you mean " _ohhh_ "?' he demanded. 

Clyde giggled hysterically and adjusted his bookbag strap before dashing off.   
The raven-haired boy watched after his friend desperately. ' _What... the... fuck...?_ ' he whispered.

The final warning bell rang as Craig shut the door to his locker. He sauntered to his first class and slipped into his designated seat. 

Tweek was seated in the chair beside him, as he had done the previous day. Craig glanced over at the other boy and was welcomed with a friendly grin and wave. He smirked and returned the wave before retrieving the pages to his homework. 

Craig observed distractedly as Mr. Clark began the day's lesson. He rested his head on his arms as he let himself slip into his immense ocean of thoughts. 

_What did Clyde mean earlier?_ he wondered. Craig eased back into his seat and let out a phlegmatic sigh. 

Second period and the remainder of his first class lagged by, much to Craig's vexation. Finally, the bell for lunch rung and he bolted out of the classroom.

Craig shifted his way through the crowd of students. He reached Tweek's locker and was greeted by the twitchy blond as he hoisted a couple of things into the locker space. 

'Craig!' he grinned enthusiastically.   
The other boy observed as Tweek's nose crinkled as he grinned and felt his own pulse hasten.   
_Stop it, brain. I can't like someone. That's stupid. I'm stupid for feeling like this!_ Craig scolded himself and gritted his teeth. 

The darker-haired boy was pulled from his thoughts as the other boy cleared his throat awkwardly and watched his friend expectantly. 

'Sorry, just thinking,' he clarified. 'Want to hang out over lunch again?' he inquired.

Tweek glanced up. 'Sure!' He nodded as he shut the door to his locked. He peered away after a moment. 'H-Hopefully Clyde and T-Token aren't too angry that I r-ran off yesterday,' he murmured. 

Craig snorted and patted his shoulder reassuringly. 'I'm sure they're fine.' he said.  
Tweek shuffled apprehensively as he dug his nails into the palm of his hand. 'M-Maybe,' he mumbled.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The larger boy squatted and grabbed the blond by the shirt again. Craig felt his heart race as he took a hasty step forward. 'Leave him the fuck alone, Eric.' he ordered as he glowered hostilely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Chapter Warnings: bullying, blood, lots of swearing

Permitting himself to lean against a locker, Craig knitted his brows together. 'If you're so worried, we don't have to sit with them, you know,' he apprised. 'We can just hang out by ourselves like yesterday.' 

Tweek glanced up sanguinely. 'A-Alright,' 

As the two teenagers ambled beside each other, the blond peered at the other boy. 'Hey, C-Craig?' he asked, pulling trepidatiously at the buttons on his shirt.

Craig lifted his head in acknowledgment.  
'Why are you being so n-nice to me? I-I would have thought e-everyone would h-have forgotten about m-me after all t-this time,' he murmured softly, evading eye contact.

Craig scoffed and looked at his friend in incredulity. 'Well, I can always just be a dick to you, if that's what you're asking,' he shrugged. 

Tweek gripped his hair and flinched. 'GAH! NO! I-I mea- that's not what I m-' His frantic babbling was interrupted as Craig grabbed his arms. 

'I know what you meant, I was just joking with you.' he murmured, holding his friend's virescent gaze. 'No one has forgotten you, Tweek, and no one ever will forget you. I'm always going to be nice to you; fourth grade or twelfth, it doesn't matter. Okay?' he reassured the blond. 

Relaxing into his friend's grip, Tweek paused. The scrawny blond stared back into his cerulean eyes and nodded hesitantly. 

After lunch, Craig had inquired whether he could come to his house after school as they had done the previous day. The blond had politely declined, explaining that his mother requested his assistance at the coffee shop.   
Craig had kept his indifferent expression to mask his disappointment before slinking to his next class. 

The remainder of the school day slipped hastily by. For the majority of his classes, he sat idly at his desk, consumed by his thoughts as usual.

Craig sighed as the final bell of the day rang throughout the school. He slipped his bookbag straps over his shoulders and traipsed from the classroom. 

As he ambled down the hallway, Craig craned his head to stare vacuously at his shoes. He lifted his gaze as he heard a distant yelp and came to an abrupt stop.

He slunk furtively around a corner and gingerly peeked his head out.   
Craig squinted as two people came into focus, his heart simultaneously sinking. It had been none other than Eric Cartman who had Tweek pinned menacingly against a locker. 

Eric Cartman had always been an oppressive bully, to put it most benevolently. The boy was the same age as Craig and was short and noticeably overweight. 

As a child, Cartman had been morbidly obese. Surprisingly enough to every citizen of South Park, the boy had gradually slimed out as he aged. In middle school, he had even participated in sports and currently plays on the high school's football team. 

Unfortunately, he did not lose his temper as he did his weight.

The blond squirmed impotently under the larger teen's grasp. 'AGH! L-Leave me a-alone, f-fatass!' he screamed as he kicked against Cartman's shins. Tweek's face was already bruised, blood trailing down his chin from a cut on his bottom lip.

'Today is _not_ the day to fuck with me, Twitch,' he snarled darkly, pressing his forearm against the blond's throat.

Tweek let out a few strangled gasps as he struggled to speak. 'W-What the f-fuck do y-you even w-ACK- w-want?!' he choked out.

' _What do I want_?' Cartman held the other boy closer by the collar of his green button-down. 'I want you to get what a little piece of shit you are!' he uttered abhorrently.

Tweek vainly attempted to throw a swift punch to the larger boy's cheek. Cartman caught him by his thin wrists and slammed him closer to the locker. 

A loud clash came when Tweek's head hit the locker as Cartman swung a hefty blow to his face. 'GAH! _FUCK_!' he hissed and fell to his knees, covering his nose protectively with his hands. 

The larger boy squatted and grabbed the blond by the shirt again. Craig felt his heart race as he took a hasty step forward. 'Leave him the fuck alone, Eric.' he ordered as he glowered hostilely. 

Eric Cartman redirected his attention to the dark-haired teenager that stood resolutely before him. 'Oh really? What the hell are you gonna do about it?' He lifted himself to his full height as he approached the other boy.

Craig impetuously grabbed Cartman by his sweater and slammed him against the wall. His cerulean eyes met coldly with the other boy's pusillanimous, heterochromia [1] gaze. 

'I _said_ leave him alone. Are you fucking deaf?' Craig growled. Cartman shifted timorously. 'G-Get off of me, man!' he spluttered.   
'How the tables have turned, huh?' the raven-haired boy sneered, tightening his grip enough to dig painfully into the larger boy's shoulders. 

'Fine, I'll leave him alone! Just get the fuck off me, ya' fuckin' prick!' he muttered. In the end, Cartman was a coward. He could throw a punch, but he had never been able to take one, which was certainly a good thing for Craig. 

'Don't you ever touch him again. If you do, you'd better send a prayer to whatever god you believe in, because the next time I see you...' Craig gave a complacent smirk. 'You'll be fuckin' meeting them.' 

'Goddamn bastard,' Cartman sneered and hastily slipped away as the other boy's grasp on his sweater was released. Craig turned to Tweek, who still cowered on the floor.

The blond removed his hands from cupping his nose to view the blood that had spilled into his palm. 'O-Oh sweet J-Jesus, I'm g-gonna b-bleed t-to death!' he squeaked. 

Leaning down to eye level, Craig observed his friend's bloodied and battered face. Tweek glanced up from his hands and knitted his brows together irately. 'W-Why'd y-you do that?' he spat.

Taken aback, Craig scoffed. ' _What_?' he hissed. 'I just saved your ass from getting kicked,' he paused. 'Worse than it already is, anyway,'

Tweek's gaze flickered away as tears suddenly began to threaten to fall from his eyes. 'I-I could h-have handled i-it! I-I'm not w-weak, C-Craig!' His voice cracked as he spoke.

The darker-haired teen blinked in bewilderment. 'I didn't say you were weak,' he began. 'But if I hadn't of stepped in, he might've done worse.' 

Lifting himself to feet, Tweek winced in pain. Craig watched as a few droplets of scarlet blood dripped onto the school floor. 'Your nose is bleeding pretty badly,' he murmured.

The blond glared at him out of the corner of his eye. 'No shit,' he grumbled. Craig bit his lip. 'Can I help at all?' he urged. 

'No, Craig, I- GAH--j-just leave m-me alone!' he snapped, his voice trembling as he raised it. Craig stared at his friend, his mouth slightly agape in perplexity. 

Tweek turned on his heels and limped towards the exit of the school. The other boy stood idly, his head canting to the side. 

_What the actual fuck just happened?_ He thought exasperatedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> [1] Heterochromia means different coloured eyes, by the way. Cartman having one blue eye and one brown is a fan theory, originating to when he accidentally possessed Kenny's spirit. Fans speculated that after he left his body, it left a blue eye (since Kenny had blue eyes). I just wanted to clarify where I got that from.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Craig paused at the front door as he reached the Tweak household. He hesitantly lifted his hand to clasp the doorknob.  
>  _Please be unlocked..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this chapter will be super short, so I apologise for that in advance! I usually write these one chapter at a time, so I wasn't able to realise that I probably could have just squeezed this into the last chapter lmao.
> 
> Warnings include: blood

Craig grumbled as he kicked a pebble down the sidewalk. His hands were secured in the pockets of his blue jacket while he trudged in the direction of his home. 

_What the hell was up with Tweek?_ He wondered, gritting his teeth together. He desired to go by Tweek Bros. and assure himself that everything was alright but shook his head adamantly. 

If he wants to be an asshole when I was just being nice, that's his problem. He thought and scoffed to himself as he reached the front door.

Craig fumbled through his pocket and inserted the key into the doorknob. To his relief, his parents were still at work. 

Before turning the doorknob, he lowered his head. Guilt churned in his stomach as he retracted his hand.   
_It wouldn't hurt to check and make sure that he's okay. Even if he was an asshole, he was bleeding pretty badly._ He thought reluctantly before veering around. 

Frigid Colorado gales lapping at his face, Craig shivered and let out a shaky gasp. He approached the doors of Tweek Bros. Coffee and opened them hesitantly.

He ambled into the café, glancing around in search of his blond friend. 'Can I help you, young man?' A middle-aged woman spoke up from where she attended the register.   
The lady was known as Mrs Tweak. Her hair was shoulder-length, light-brown and had neatly trimmed bangs. She was petite and had bright, viridescent eyes. 

She peered swiftly at Craig before making a double-take. 'Oh, you were the boy that my son was spending time with yesterday! Is he not with you?' Mrs Tweak raised a brow as she looked past the younger boy. 

'Wait, what? I came here to look for him.' Craig's blue eyes widened in bewilderment. 

Mrs Tweak blinked. 'What do you mean? He was supposed to be here about 30 minutes ago,' she explained. 'I tried calling him multiple times, but he never picked up. I'm starting to get worried,'   
Craig felt his heart drop to his stomach like a stone. 

'I'll find him, Mrs Tweak.' he said, his voice cracking. The older woman shifted from behind the counter. 'Well, if you find him, tell him that he's in big trouble for ignoring me like this.' she muttered and resumed her endeavours. 

The younger teenager gulped as he stared at his friend's mother.  
 _Oh, God, this is all my fault._ He knitted his brows together and took an apprehensive step backwards and out the door. 

Craig paused at the front door as he reached the Tweak household. He hesitantly lifted his hand to clasp the doorknob.  
 _Please be unlocked..._

The front door creaked as the dark-haired boy opened it. He peered apprehensively inside and gingerly took a couple of steps.  
'Tweek? Are you here?' he called, treading through the poorly lit living room. 

Craig turned to make his way up the stairs and let out a sharp gasp. ' _Tweek_?' he exclaimed.  
The blond lay face-first, unconscious in the hallway. Craig rushed to his friend's side and rolled the smaller boy over. 

Craig pulled his friend onto his lap to hold him securely in his arms. 'God, dude, you look terrible,' he murmured, brushing Tweek's hair out of his face. The blond's nose was caked heavily in blood, which stained the floor below him.  
 _That's certainly going to hurt in the morning._ Craig thought, cringing at the sight of all the blood.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tweek sniffled and wiped a hand across his face. He scarcely fought the urge to vomit as he looked down at the blood heavily smeared against his pale skin. 'I've got to get out of here,' he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so sorry for not updating this! I'd completely forgotten that I also had this on Ao3. If you're wanting quicker updates, your best bet is to view it from Wattpad.  
> I've also fixed how Tweek talks, so he won't have the stutter anymore. Canonically, he only has those tics, and I was making his speak like Jimmy. My apologies! 
> 
> Additional warnings: contains homophobic slurs, bullying, swearing, and blood.

Tweek felt his heartbeat violently like a drum in his chest as he hastily shifted through the mass of students. The bell that signalled the end of lunch had just rung through the school. 

_I'm going to be late if these people don't move!_ He though apprehensively, head pounding with anxiety as he dug his nails into his palm.

Making his way through the crowd, Tweek felt his body collide against another's.   
Throwing his pale hands to his golden hair, the boy let out a frantic 'GAH!'. 

Veering around, the other teenager craned his head to hover over Tweek. The blond trembled violently. 'AH- I-I'm so sorry!' he spluttered, gripping harder at his hair.

Tweek gulped as he observed the boy that he had run into. He certainly looked much different than he did as a child, but the teenager was definitely Eric Cartman. 

The larger man was accompanied by his other three life-long cronies, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny. However, he candidly doubted that any of them actually even liked the nuisance. 

In Fourth Grade, Tweek had even been apart of Cartman's gang himself. After being ostracised from the group, he had ended up Craig's gang.

The blond was ripped from his thoughts as the other teenager leaned forward. 'You're _sorry_?' he sneered. Tweek trembled as he felt the larger boy's foul, hot breath on his own face. 

Cartman knitted his brows together and gritted his teeth as he raised a single fist. 'Dude, chill out!' Stan called, accompanied by Kyle's snide remark, 'Leave him alone, fatass, we have to get to class.' 

Tweek let out a shaky breath as Cartman reluctantly receded. 'You fuck with me one more time and you're gonna regret it.' he growled before trailing behind Kyle and Stan. 

As the final students in the hallway dispersed, Kenny watched as his friends departed. He turned to the palpitating blond and canted his head slightly.   
'I'm sorry that you caught him on one of his _bad days_. He's always a dick, as I'm sure you remember, but he was just dumped by his girlfriend, Heidi, over lunch.' Kenny explained. 

Tweek blinked as he twitched, nodding gingerly. 'I-I didn't mean to,' he murmured before glancing at his wristwatch.

Lifting his head up, he adjusted his bookbag strap. 'GAH! I'M GOING TO BE LATE! OH GOD!' he yawped before bolting away. 

Tweek shuddered and shifted uncomfortably in his desk as he lost himself to his thoughts. His foot tapped rapidly against the classroom floor as he completed an assignment. 

The bell that ended the day would ring soon. Tweek rapped his finger against the desk, consequently earning an exasperated glare from his teacher. 

His brooding was overwhelmed with all the feasible horrible things that Cartman would do to him if he did anything. Clenching his eyes shut, Tweek compelled himself to think about something alternative. 

The blond considered his day before Cartman had threatened him. He felt himself ease as he remembered Craig's kind words at the beginning of lunch. 

Tweek hoped that he had not hurt his friend's feelings when he'd declined his offer to hang out after school again. He wanted to more than anything, of course, but his mother required his assistance at the coffee shop. 

Tweek knew that what he felt for Craig was certainly more complicated than what someone should feel about their friend. Every time he thought about the raven-haired boy, his heart practically leapt to his throat. 

Ever since he had moved back to South Park, Craig Tucker was one of the most predominant subjects that consumed his thoughts.   
_Oh God, what if I'm in love?! That's way too much pressure!_ He thought, trembling as he grasped his blond hair apprehensively and bit his lip.

Tweek flinched as the bell rang. He bolted from the classroom and swiftly veered around the corner before colliding once again into none other than Eric Cartman.

The blond fell to the ground with a grunt and craned his head upwards.   
_Oh shit._ He thought with a meek whimper.   
_That's just my luck! He's going to fucking kill me!_

Tweek leaned back onto his arms and vainly attempted to scramble away before Cartman seized his forearm and threw a soft blow against his cheek. 

'GAH! I'M S-SORRY, MAN!' he spluttered. The blond winced as the larger boy gripped his shirt and pulled him to his feet. 

Tweek hastily backed away and held up his two fists defensively. 'Don't act like you have the balls to fight me. You're a pathetic, faggy, piece of shit!' Cartman sneered. 

The smaller boy yelped as the other pinned him against the locker. 'All you are is just an irritating little faggot. You haven't been back two days and you're already following behind some dude like a little, lost puppy. ' he mocked, grinning as Tweek squirmed helplessly.

 _This is it! This is the end! I'm literally about to die! It's going to be a horrible, painful death!_ He closed his eyes and writhed under Cartman's grasp. 

'AGH! Leave me a-alone, fatass!' Tweek yawped and swung his feet at the larger boy's shins. 

'Today is _not_ the day to fuck with me, Twitch.' Cartman snarled darkly and pressed his forearm against his throat. 

'What the fuck do you even- ACK- want?!' he choked out. As Cartman pulled his arm away, he began to cough violently.

'What do I want?' His grip returned as he clutched Tweek's shirt. 'I want you to know what a little piece of shit you are!' he uttered.

The blond trembled as he vainly swung at his opponent before the other boy caught his fist. Cartman slammed his closer against the locker and landed a violent blow to his nose.

Agonising pain shot through his face and he fell to his knees. 'GAH! FUCK!' he hissed in anguish. Tweek held his hands to his face as he felt blood begin to pour from his nose. 

As his vision began to double, Tweek squinted to try and bring his surroundings into focus. He watched the room begin to spin as his head pounded in agony. 

'Leave him the fuck alone, Eric.' He perked his head up as the familiar voice reached his ears. 

_No, no, no, no, no... go away, Craig! You're going to make this worse!_  
He thought, wincing as he tried to struggle to his feet.

Falling back against the locker, Tweek watched as Craig pinned Cartman threateningly. He glanced down at his hand, which was caked in his blood. 

By the time he gazed back up, Cartman was fleeing from the premises. 'Oh sweet Jesus, I'm gonna bleed to death!' he whimpered to himself. 

As Craig dropped to his own eye level, Tweek knitted his brows together irately as he fought for words.

'Why'd you do that?!' he spat. Probably not the best selection in words. Craig stared at him in bewilderment and simply scoffed. ' _What_?' he hissed. 'I just saved you from getting your ass kicked,' 

Tweek winced as another shot of pain ran through his nose. 'Worse than it already is, anyway,' Craig added.

The blond felt the tears threatening to fall from his bright, green eyes as he remembered Cartman's harsh words. 'I could have handled it! I'm not w-weak, Craig!' 

The other boy watched him and blinked in perplexity. 'I didn't say you were weak, but if I hadn't of stepped in, he might've done worse.' he said, inching closer to him.

Tweek winced and hissed in pain as he stood shakily to his feet. He watched a few droplets of his own blood fall to the ground and felt sick to his stomach. 

Craig pulled himself to his feet and gazed comprehensively at Tweek's bloody face. 'Your nose is bleeding pretty badly,' he murmured.

Headache pounding as he rolled his eyes, the blond scoffed. 'No shit,' he grumbled. He watched the raven-haired boy bite his lip out of the corner of his eye. 'Can I help at all?' he urged, moving to stand beside him. 

Tweek knitted his brows together and blinked. The pain in his nose throbbed as he looked away. 'No, Craig, I- GAH-- j-just leave me alone!' he snapped, pulling away from his friend and bolting towards the door. 

As the blond rushed down the sidewalk and away from the school, he felt warm tears roll down his contused face. 'GAH! I can't fucking take this!' he croaked as he approached his house. 

'ACK! Craig's never going to want to talk to me after that and Cartman's going to kill me the next time I'm alone!' he rambled on frantically as he lifted a quivering hand to unlock the front door to his home. 

Tweek sniffled and wiped a hand across his face. He scarcely fought the urge to vomit as he looked down at the blood heavily smeared against his pale skin. 'I've got to get out of here,' he whispered.

Stumbling wearily to his room, he grabbed a small bag and packed clothing articles into it. He wearily observed his vision grow darker and blur as he stuffed a shirt into the bag. He shook his head, wincing at the pain, and grabbed the bag. 

Tweek felt his eyelids fall as the blood continued to run from his nose. He took a few steps out from his room before stumbling and falling to the ground [1].

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:
> 
> [1] Just to quickly clarify, he didn't pass out due to blood loss. Broken bones can sometimes cause the person to pass out, so that's what I intended to be the cause. So basically, don't worry, he's not bleeding out on the floor lmfao.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silence hung in the air as the other boy's breath hitched. 'You don't need to say that out of pity.' he mumbled, staring despondently to the ground.
> 
> 'I'm not.' he impetuously replied in an equanimous tone. Tweek gazed at him with round, dumbfounded eyes. 'You aren't?' he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Warnings: blood, self-harm

The gentle wind susurrated against the window while a snow flurry drifted through the frigid Colorado air. Craig phlegmatically watched a few snowflakes buffet against the glass while he held his unconscious friend in his arms.

The dwelling remained placid and silent, except for the rustle of the winter gales. He leaned into the hallway wall and frivolously ran a hand through Tweek's blond locks.

Craig hastily retracted his hand as the other boy began to stir. Lifting his eyelids, the blond winced as he gradually regained consciousness. 'Gh...wh-what?' he slurred before peering around lethargically and shifting away. 

'You passed out about 30 minutes ago or something. I couldn't find you at the coffee shop, so I came here to look.' he elucidated.   
A solemn expression fell upon Tweek's countenance. 'Why?' he inquired inaudibly.

'I suppose from the pain,' Craig responded, pursing his lips slightly. The other boy tugged lightly at the bottom of his own shirt. 'No, not that,' he urged before wincing again from the throbbing pain in his nasal cavity. 

Clumps of blood were stained below his nostrils. 'What I mean is why did you come looking for me, even if I was a jerk?' he asked, his brows knitting together in perplexity. 'Why do you even still want to- agh- talk to me?'

Tapping the floorboard lightly with a finger, the darker-haired boy hesitantly grinned. 'What kind of question is that?' he scoffed softly. 'You were under a lot of stress. It's not like I was going to stop being worried just because of that.' 

Tweek gazed ruefully at his hands. 'I-I'm sorry,' he croaked.  
'Don't be. Anyway, we should get you cleaned up,' Craig said, gently patting the other boy's shoulder reassuringly.

The floor creaked softly as he assisted his friend in getting to his feet. He shifted to allow the blond to lean against him for support as they walked.   
Flicking the bathroom light on, Craig glanced to Tweek. 'Where are your rags and rubbing alcohol?' he asked. 

Lifting a finger, the other boy pointed to a cabinet below the sink. The taller boy lowered himself to open it and rummage around. 

Tweek limped beside his friend to face himself in the mirror. He tentatively held a quivering hand to his face. 'Oh God, I think my nose is broken,' he rasped. 

A bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a white rag was placed on the counter. Craig veered around to face the blond again after applying the liquid to the cloth.

'This might sting a little,' he mumbled, holding Tweek's head up with one hand and dabbing at the blood with the other. 'Agh- it smells awful,' the smaller boy muttered.

Knitting his brows together, Craig grinned. 'That's because there's rubbing alcohol right under your nose, dude.' Tweek huffed softly and rolled his eyes. 

The white rag morphed into a shade of scarlet as it collected the blood that was caked below his nostrils. 'What were you even doing before I got here?' Craig inquired. 

Tweek shifted apprehensively. 'What do you mean?' He narrowed his eyebrows.   
'You had a packed bag with you when I found you,' the raven-haired teenager elaborated.

Digging his nails into his palm, the blond peered away. 'Er--I was going to- AGH- leave,' he murmured. Craig paused his hand motions for a heartbeat. 'What? Why?' 

Tweek gripped at his shirt in perturbation.   
'I guess I sort of figured that it was that or... erm, killing myself,' He lowered his tone to an inaudible whisper.

With a lugubrious frown, Craig stared pensively at his friend with round eyes. His cerulean gaze flickered across the other boy's pale face. 'Do you... still feel that way?' he inquired quietly. 

'I-I don't really know. It's just all too much- ACK-pressure! It feels like my life if falling apart and there's nothing I can do about it.' he divulged with a quivering voice as tears began to swell in his virescent eyes. 'and through all this, it just feels like everyone has forgotten that I exist. It isn't as if anyone likes or ever _will_ like me. I just-- I-I don't, man. I just feel so alone,' 

Craig blinked and scoffed. ' _'No one likes you'_? What's that supposed to mean? I'm here, aren't I?' 

Tweek peered at his hands and grinned ruefully. 'Yeah, I know, but that's not what I mean. I mean nobody will ever like _like_ me,' he elucidated. 'I don't even know how I have a friend that can stand me, let alone someone out there who likes me like _that_.' he whispered before wincing at the pain that continued to throb in his nose.

'Yeah there is, Tweek,' the darker-haired boy urged. The blond knitted his brows together and frowned dubiously. 'Really? Have you not- GAH- looked at me? Who could like a pathetic spaz like me?' he scoffed softly, fumbling apprehensively with a button on this shirt. 

Craig gazed at him for a heartbeat. 'I don't know, me?' he whispered, staring desperately.   
_Fuck. Great going, Craig; absolutely brilliant of you!_

Silence hung in the air as the other boy's breath hitched. 'You don't need to say that out of pity.' he mumbled, staring despondently to the ground.

'I'm not.' he impetuously replied in an equanimous tone. Tweek gazed at him with round, dumbfounded eyes. 'You aren't?' he whispered.

Feeling his face heat up, Craig's eyes shifted down to avoid the blond's gaze. 'I doubt that you feel the same, though. Either way, just keep in mind that there is someone who cares a lot about you. I promise you that you're not alone.' 

Tweek's pale face grew flushed as he reached to grip his hair. 'Wait, n-no, I like you too, Craig,' he hastily squeaked. 'Honestly, I think I have since Elementary School,'

The dark-haired boy grinned. 'Yeah, I think I have too,' he snorted. Tweek gave a lighthearted giggle and gazed up to him. 

'Thank you, Craig. I don't know why you like me, but thanks.' he whispered, leaning in to press his lips softly against Craig's cheek.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shifting his feet, the younger boy dug his nails into his palm. 'How do you- er- know if you're in love?' he whispered, biting trepidatiously into his lip. 
> 
> Mrs Tweak raised a brow. 'Well, I suppose you'd be asking a question like that.' she replied candidly as she reached for a book on the coffee table.

The porch light expanded across the dark lawn while crickets chirped softly. The car door slammed as Mrs Tweak pulled into the driveway and climbed out. 

Wrapped in tightly in a blanket, Tweek worked out his math homework in a composition notebook. The front door burst open and his mother let the keys clank loudly on an end-table. 

A glower fell across her countenance as she lifted her head to face her son. 'Where have you been?! You m-' her voice hitched as she observed the boy's contused visage. 'What happened to your face?'

The blond bit the inside of his cheek. 'GAH- I-I-' He timorously tugged at his shirt. 'I kind of got beat up,' he whispered. 

Mrs Tweak's grimace melted away as she moved to sit beside her son on the sofa. She gingerly raised a hand to hold Tweek's head up while she scrutinised his battered face. 

'Oh, hon, you look terrible,' her brows knitted together with concern. The older woman regarded the aberration at the bridge of his nose. 'We'll need to take you to see a doctor to help with that.' she murmured softly. 

Tweek peered away and frowned dejectedly. 'What even happened? Why didn't you call me?' his mother demanded soberly. The younger boy furrowed his brows. 'I don't know,' he prevaricated. 'I just ran into some guy and he sort of beat me up.' 

Mrs Tweak ran her thumb across a bruise under his left eye. ''Sort of' is an understatement, dear. Are you alright, though?' she inquired. 

Clenching the blanket in his hand, the teenager gave a timid nod. 'Ack-- Yeah, Craig came by and helped me.' he mumbled. 

The older woman tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear. 'He seems like a nice boy,'  
Tweek blinked and gave another nod of his head. 'He is,' the blond murmured.

'He was looking for you earlier,' his mother imparted. The younger boy lifted his head. 'Oh,' 

Mrs Tweak lightly patted her son's forearm. 'It's good to know that you have friends that care about you.' she murmured, grinning softly. 

After a beat of silence, his mother reached to grasp his hands. 'I'm sorry if it feels like I've been distant with you lately. This whole divorce thing, on top of having to run the coffee shop, has been really stressful.' she whispered softly. 'No matter what, don't forget how much I love you, son. You can always talk to me.' Mrs Tweak wrapped her arms around him and pulled her son into a delicate embrace.

Tweek trembled under his mother's touch and leaned his countenance into her brunette locks. 'It's okay. Thanks,' he whispered.  
Mrs Tweak pulled away and gently rested her hands on his shoulders. 'Now, it's almost ten o'clock on a school night. Go and try to get some rest, hon.' she adjured. 

'Ngh-- Okay,' he mumbled, clambering off of the couch. Taking a couple of timorous steps towards the stairs, Tweek veered around to face his mother again. 'Gah-- Hey, Mom?' he called quietly.

The older woman lifted her head. 'Hm?'   
The blond tugged apprehensively at his shirt. 'AGH--Can I ask you a bit of a weird question?' he hesitantly inquired. 

Placing her hands on her lap, the brunette woman nodded. 'Of course you can,'   
Shifting his feet, the younger boy dug his nails into his palm. 'How do you- er- know if you're in love?' he whispered, biting trepidatiously into his lip. 

Mrs Tweak raised a brow. 'Well, I suppose you'd be asking a question like that.' she replied candidly as she reached for a book on the coffee table. 

Tweek watched his mother exasperatedly. 'ACK-- What? What's that- gh- supposed to mean?!' he uttered desperately. Mrs Tweak smirked and chuckled softly. 'Go to bed,' she ordered.

With a disgruntled huff of defeat, the younger boy veered around and made his way up the stairs. He opened his door and sat gingerly on the foot of his bed.

The bed creaked softly as Tweek leaned back into it and rested his hands on his stomach. His eyelids drooped as he stared phlegmatically at the ceiling.   
_Oh God, this is too much pressure!_ He squinted his eyes. _I can't be in love. What if I do something wrong and he just leaves me?! I don't want to be alone anymore_ , he thought with a sombre frown.

Tweek let out a startled yelp as his phone buzzed from his pocket. He slipped the mobile device out and peered at the screen. 

_1 unread message from Craig Tucker._

_Oh dear God, it's already happening! I did something wrong and he's already tired of me. Good going, dude!_

The blond timidly opened his messages and scanned Craig's text. 

_From: Craig Tucker_   
_To: Tweek Tweak_   
_Are you still doing okay_

Tweek's eyes twitched and he knitted his brows together.   
_Oh_ , He thought, squinting at the message for a heartbeat as his vision focused. His fingers moved hastily across the keyboard as he typed. 

_From: Tweek Tweak_   
_To: Craig Tucker_   
_Yes, I'n feeling better. Thabjs again for staying with ne._

Another buzz came from his phone.

_From: Craig Tucker_   
_To: Tweek Tweak_   
_Of course, sleep tight, Tweek. If you even do that lmao_

Scoffing softly, the blond cast his mobile device to his end table. He rolled over on his side and tucked his hands under his cheek.

Staring placidly at the wall, Tweek pondered to himself. _Oh my God, I'm going to screw something up. Something will go wrong with this great thing I've got going and it'll be my fault_. He paused for a heartbeat. _Craig isn't like that though_ , he told himself firmly. 

_Oh, man, I really like him a lot, don't I?_ He contemplated. Raising a quivering hand, Tweek clasped his sandy-coloured hair. 'GAH! This is too much pressure!' he muttered, clenching his eyes tightly shut.


End file.
